Does Butter Go Bad?

Butter is one of the products that we often use in our everyday life. However, there are many people, who want to use butter only on few occasions; they are likely to store their butter for one or two weeks or more. They often raise the question- Can butter retain its original quality if left out for a long time? Obviously, we never like to eat any spoiled food, and that is why we are concerned on whether a particular food has the possibility of losing its freshness.

It is a fact that most of the foods remain fresh, while they are stored in refrigerator. So, people think that their butter may also stay good, if kept inside a fridge. But, an interesting fact is that many experts recommend you not to keep butter in the refrigerator because it can ruin your experience of enjoying a tasty butter. So, now you need to stop keeping your butter in the fridge.

Should butter be kept in the fridge?

Butter is very smooth substance, which is manufactured by tossing cream until there is a separation of the fat globules and buttermilk. This is not just tasty but also flexible. Butter that is manufactured in the USA is almost eighty percent fats, whereas European butter package consists of more than 82 percent fat. The rest of the part is the blend of the lactose, milk proteins and water in the form of small droplets.

When you apply butter on your bread or on corn, you are expected to spread the substance. But, the cold hard butter will never allow you to spread it thoroughly all over the surface. The butter grips onto your bread’s surface and splits it to one side. When you are not able to have this butter a bit dispersed, you possibly will not get the tastiness. It is because the frozen butter also destroys the savors. It is really disappointing to you.

In some countries, you may see that people generally keep butter at room temperature, and their butter remains highly spreadable. There are various flavors that you can get from different kinds of the butter (like malty or aged). You may not be able to experience malty butter, if you have kept it in your freezer.

How to leave the product at room temperature?

If you like to have the butter stored for long term period, then it is essential to wrap the product and keep in your fridge. However, to get the bliss of spreadable butter, a little amount may be stocked, completely wrapped, under room temperature.

The butter, if opened and left exposed, to light and air, may get spoiled very easily. Thus, you have to keep this covered with your dish. It will surely protect the product from light and air. Moreover, you may keep the butter at a stable temperature in order to help it in staying cool and hold the shape.

If you are concerned about the storage of butter, then climate of your locality is a significant factor. If the area has cooler climate, then it is better to leave your butter at usual room temperature. On the other hand, while the kitchen temperature too high (70°F), then the butter can be kept in the refrigerator.

While your butter is at the room temperature, you may make the butter salted. It is because the presence of the salt may prevent the growth of bacteria.

Still, the options of storing your butter depend on your individual preference. When you need spreadable soft butter, you should not forget to keep it at your room temperature.

Expected shelf life of any kind of butter

If you want to make out the particular shelf life of commercial butter, you may look at a specific date, mentioned on its packet. However, even when you plan to consume the product after one or two weeks, no undesirable thing will perhaps happen. Possibly, your butter will remain in excellent condition. While stored in appropriate way, butter may not turn into its bad condition for nearly six months, after the date of production. Thus, there is a lot of time for you to eat it.

Oils that are present in butter may become rancid due to the constant process of oxidation. Light and heat speed up this oxidation procedure. Thus, your butter must be preserved in a dark and cool place, for example, in the refrigerator. Though oxidation may not be stopped, it can only be slowed down.  When you want your butter to remain in good condition for some months, you may place it inside your fridge.

There are some more tips that you can use to preserve your butter for longer time period. Cut the piece into some smaller bits. Then, pack up each of these bits separately. It will surely allow your butter to remain fresh for extra six to eight months.

Identify the rotten butter

Before consuming the butter, you need to find out whether it has reached the rotten state. If stored under normal temperature for extensive period, the oils of the butter will become sour very fast. The good fact is that it is very simple to identify the rancid or spoiled butter. You have to search for a number of things in the stale butter-

  • Discolorations
  • Bad smell
  • Sour taste

If any of these is traced in your butter, you must discard the product immediately. Do not get scared of tasting only a small amount of butter because this amount will not affect your physical condition negatively.

An unsealed container of butter may last for about one to three months at about 40° Fahrenheit or less in your fridge. However, some butter manufacturers assure that their high quality product can be kept fine for almost six months. In addition to it, when the butter is left in the partly-open original wrapper, the part of the butter that is exposed may start to coagulate and smell sour after almost seven days because the oxygen gas sets in.

Another fact, which you have to consider, is that the butter, which is commercially processed, has not much risky bacteria.

It can be concluded that any frozen, refrigerated or room temperature butter needs to be wrapped tightly. Or, it has to be covered with a dish.  Butter, even if not opened, may assume a number of flavors, no matter whether it has been kept in the refrigerator. Even when you leave out the butter, it is better to wrap with some aluminum foil. So, keep these instructions in your mind and enjoy the desired taste of butter.

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